CHARLOTTE, N.C. � The Charlotte Checkers scored three goals in the first period and three more in the third to top the Mississippi Sea Wolves 7-4 in front of 5,649 fans at Cricket Arena.
�When you score four goals on the road you should win the game,� Mississippi coach Bob Woods said. �We got off our game plan. Guys were staying on the ice longer than they should and that leads to missed assignments. We need to re-focus and get ready for another battle against Charlotte within 24 hours.�
Charlotte (30-18-3, 63 points) took control in the first period. Jason Dawe opened the score at the 6:09 mark beating Phil Sauve. Dawe�s eighth goal of the season was assisted by Juris Stals and Ryan Lang.
The Checkers made it 2-0 at 16:19. Ryan Glenn buried his fifth of the campaign set up by Dawe and Dan Preston.
Late in the first, Charlotte counted its third goal of the period on a power play. Dusty Jamieson netted his team-leading 22nd goal of the year at 19:02. Helpers were awarded to Mike Wirll and Brian Escobedo, a defenseman who was playing against former teammates for the first time.
Mississippi (24-18-4, 52 points) bounced back in a big way in the second. John Evangelista centered the puck for Jay Legault, who lifted a backhand shot past Alex Westlund for his 10th of the campaign at 5:23.
The Sea Wolves cut the margin to one at the 7:59 mark of the second. Travis Lisabeth snapped home a centering pass from Legault to tally his 14th goal of the year. Evangelista also collected his second assist on the Lisabeth goal.
Mississippi got back on even terms knotting the score at 3-3, as Austin Miller fired a right circle shot into the back of the net to extend his point streak to a career-high five games. Helpers went to Anthony Battaglia and Nicolas Corbeil.
Charlotte went ahead on a power-play. Escobedo stung his former team by sending a wrist shot into the back of the cage for his fourth goal of the season at 15:00. Ryan Glenn and Wirll picked up assists.
The Sea Wolves continued to pour it on by connecting on their fourth goal of the middle stanza to tie the contest at 4-4. Kerry Ellis-Toddington bulged the twine on a man advantage at 16:47 set up by Louis Dumont and Lisabeth.
In the third, Charlotte took control once again. Eddie Pershin converted his 18th of the year in close at 7:41 for the eventual game-winning goal. Lee Falardeau and Dwight Helminen garnered assists.
The Checkers added insurance at 14:03 to make it 6-4. Ryan Lang tallied his seventh of the year from Dawe and Stals.
Mississippi pulled Sauve in the dying minutes for the extra attacker, but Pershin slipped the puck into the empty net for his second of the game. Falardeau had the lone assist.
Mississippi converted on 1-of-3 power play chances, while Charlotte went 3-for-4. Checkers outshot the Sea Wolves 48-22.
Mississippi wraps up its three-game road trip at 6 p.m. CT tomorrow against the Checkers at Cricket Arena. Listen live on flagship radio station WGCM-AM 1240, or online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of Teamline. The pregame show gets underway 15 minutes prior to the drop of the puck.
The Sea Wolves return home at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday against the Columbia Inferno at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Individual tickets for home games can be purchased at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (228) 385-2600 and online at ticketmaster.com.
Flex packs, discounted groups tickets, birthday packages and fundraiser opportunities are available by calling (228) 275-WOLF or online at msseawolves.com.
--- Box Score ---
SCORE BY PERIODS
Mississippi 0 4 0--4
Charlotte 3 1 3--7
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Charlotte-Dawe 8 (Stals; Lang) 6:09. 2,
Charlotte-Glenn 5 (Dawe; Preston) 16:19. 3, Charlotte-Jamieson 22
(power play) (Escobedo; Wirll) 19:02. Penalties: Lisabeth, MIS
(Tripping), 14:09. Mastad, MIS (Hooking), 17:18.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Mississippi-Legault 10 (Evangelista)
5:23. 5, Mississippi-Lisabeth 14 (Legault, Evangelista) 7:59. 6, Mississippi-Miller 4 (Battaglia) 9:21. 7, Charlotte-Escobedo 4 (power play) (Glenn; Wirll) 15:00. 8, Mississippi-Ellis-Toddington 7 (power play) (Dumont; Lisabeth) 16:47. Penalties: O'Leary, MIS (Cross checking), 9:45. MacIntyre, CHR (Roughing, Double minor), 9:45. Battaglia, MIS (Hooking), 13:09. Dawe, CHR (Hooking), 15:36.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 9, Charlotte-Pershin 18 (game winner)
(Falardeau; Helminen) 7:41. 10, Charlotte-Lang 8 (power play) (Dawe;
Stals) 14:03. 11, Charlotte-Pershin 19 (empty net) (Falardeau)
18:59. Penalties: MacIntyre, CHR (Slashing), 9:30. Cuthbert, CHR
(Roughing), 11:40. Corbeil, MIS (Board check, Major), 11:40.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Mississippi 11 9 2--22
Charlotte 12 17 19--48
Power Play Conversions: Mississippi - 1 of 3, Charlotte - 3 of 5.
Goalies: Mississippi-Sauve (47 shots, 41 saves; record: 3-1-1).
Charlotte-Westlund (22 shots, 18 saves; record: 19-12-2).
A: 5649. Referee: Brown. Linesmen: Shiley; Combs.
